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呼吸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
呼吸hūxīto breatheHSK 5, v, rank #1195, Medium
hūxī(hu1xi1) T1
  1. 1to breathe
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
呼吸hūxī(hu1xi1)

呼吸 (hūxī) means 'to breathe' and refers to the act of inhaling and exhaling air. It is commonly used in both physical contexts, such as discussing breathing techniques or health, and metaphorical contexts, like expressing the need for a break or relief.

Frequency#1195DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, breathing is considered vital for maintaining health and balance in the body. Practices like Qigong emphasize the importance of breath control.

Memory Tip

Think of '呼' (hū) as a loud call, like 'huh!' when you take a deep breath, and '吸' (xī) as the action of sucking in air. Imagine a big balloon that you blow into (呼) and then suck the air back out (吸).

Meanings of 呼吸

hūxī(hu1xi1)
1to breathe
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 呼吸

呼吸Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1195Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 呼吸

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Podcast: 呼吸

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AI Study Notes for 呼吸

Memory Mnemonic

Think of '呼' (hū) as a loud call, like 'huh!' when you take a deep breath, and '吸' (xī) as the action of sucking in air. Imagine a big balloon that you blow into (呼) and then suck the air back out (吸).

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tones when pronouncing 呼吸, as mispronouncing it might lead to confusion with other words. It is generally used in both formal and informal settings, often paired with words like '新鲜空气' (fresh air) or '深呼吸' (deep breathing).

HSK Study Tips

As a level 5 HSK word, 呼吸 connects with other health-related vocabulary. Focus on learning phrases that include 呼吸, such as '呼吸困难' (difficulty breathing) to enhance your conversational skills on health topics.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, breathing is considered vital for maintaining health and balance in the body. Practices like Qigong emphasize the importance of breath control.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 呼吸 with similar-sounding words like 胡须 (húxū, 'beard'). Remember that 呼吸 specifically refers to the act of breathing, while 胡须 relates to facial hair.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 呼吸

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Component Characters

呼hūto call
HSK 78 strokes口
View full entry
吸xīto breathe
HSK 46 strokes口
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Write 呼吸

呼
吸

Practice writing 呼吸 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 呼吸

呼吸 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

看你那紧张样儿，还没开始呢，至少先深____。

Look how nervous you are — it has not even started yet, at least take a deep breath first.

Example Sentences for 呼吸 (10)

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1
我屏住呼吸沉入水底。

wǒ píng zhù hū xī chén rù shuǐ dǐ。

I held my breath and sank under the water.
2
呼吸分析器显示你饮酒过量。

hū xī fēn xī qì xiǎn shì nǐ yǐn jiǔ guò liáng。

A breathalyzer tells you you've a had a few too many.
3
你注意到自己的呼吸加快了一些。

nǐ zhù yì dào zì jǐ de hū xī jiā kuài le yī xiē。

You notice that your breathing has speeded up a bit.
4
感冒是上呼吸道的感染。

gǎn mào shì shàng hū xī dào de gǎn rǎn。

A cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract.
5
我站在那儿呼吸着挪威新鲜的空气。

wǒ zhàn zài nà ér hū xī zháo nuó wēi xīn xiān de kōng qì。

I stood there breathing in the fresh Norwegian air.
6
那只鸟呼吸困难，并且鼻孔里还在流血。

nà zhī niǎo hū xī kùn nán， ， bìng qiě bí kǒng lǐ huán zài liú。

The bird had trouble breathing and was discharging blood from the nostrils.
7
这些毒气会严重损害患者的呼吸系统。

zhè xiē dú qì huì yán zhòng sǔn hài huàn zhě de hū xī xì tǒng。

These gases would seriously damage the patient's respiratory system.
8
如果抽烟，整个呼吸系统就会一直受到损害。

rú guǒ chōu yān， ， zhěng gè hū xī xì tǒng jiù huì yī zhí shòu dào sǔn。

If you smoke then the whole respiratory system is constantly under attack.
9
她能听到他不均匀的呼吸声，似乎他是跑着过来的。

tā néng tīng dào tā bù jūn yún de hū xī shēng， ， sì hū tā shì pǎo zháo guò lái。

She could hear his ragged breathing, as if he had been running.
10
她病得很严重，被戴上了人工呼吸器。

tā bìng dé hěn yán zhòng， ， bèi dài shàng le rén gōng hū xī。

She was so ill that she was put on a respirator.
Exercise 1 of 1

Reorder the Sentence

I held my breath and sank under the water.

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Cultural Notes for 呼吸

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese medicine, breathing is considered vital for maintaining health and balance in the body. Practices like Qigong emphasize the importance of breath control.

Frequently Asked Questions about 呼吸

呼吸 means 'to breathe', while 呼喊 means 'to shout' or 'to call out'. The first focuses on inhaling and exhaling, and the second emphasizes vocal expression.